Wednesday, July 1, 2009

The IHA’s annual Hooked hockey conference returns this September, Sunday 6 for a one day intensive coaching conference.

The focus will be on providing coaches with the knowledge to negotiate the new season and all the new rules that are being introduced for 2009/10. Specifically, coaches will learn how to play, use and coach the auto-pass rule.

David Passmore (IHA High Performance Director), Gene Muller (Irish Women's Coach) and Paul Revington (Irish Men's Coach) are among the tutors who will also provide sessions on the importance of developing good ball carrying position; goalscoring technique; receiving skills and games to help to develop technical and tactical understanding.

To attend, the cost is €60 (or €45 if booked before August 7). Go to www.hockey.ie or contact 01 716 3264 for more details.

In the meantime, here's a fairly interesting nine minute video on the interpretation of the auto-pass from Australia which may stimulate ideas and questions:

the self pass was played at the celtic cup last week and the refs there, especially in the womens' tourno, didnt know the rules of the self pass...they had interpreted parts of the rule incorrectly. the excuse they gave was that they were new to the rule also and that it would take a while getting used to the rule........i hope to god that the refs in the domestic leagues will not be using this excuse either for the new season.....they have plenty of time between now and the start of the season to get used to the rule and understand it correctly.........i can see it getting quite messy tho at the start of the season.

Yep... at all levels. The rule changes are "mandatory experimental" which means they must be implemented throughout all hockey: schools matches, throughout club games from recreational teams to elite and through to interprovincial and international matches!!

But they are experimental in that they will be reviewed in 2 years time to decided whether to keep them as permanent rules.

For international matches the effective start date is 1st May 2009. However, national associations can decide their own start date. My understanding though is that the IHA will implement these rules for it's competitions in the 2009/2010 season.

It will be interesting to note if the IHL also follows the EHL and introduces the additional "own goal" rule.